Merced police recover thousands of dollars in stolen property. Now, they’re looking for the rightful owners.

Merced police on Thursday served a search warrant that led them to two storage units full of stolen property. Now, police are hoping to return the items to their rightful owners.

The two storage units in Atwater are filled with thousands of dollars of tools, collectibles and more, said Merced Police Detective Joe Perez.

Officers with Atwater Police Department helped Merced officers identify some items from the construction site of the Stone Creek housing development off of Bellevue Road. Police said construction crews were hit by thieves so often, they quit reporting many of the thefts. The stolen property included building materials such as tile and plywood as well as more expensive tools.

Police were working to locate the suspect on Friday. It’s unclear why exactly the suspect stole the items and kept them in storage.

Other recovered items included a decorative chest with comic books, collectible sports cards, collectible figurines, power tools, automotive tools, golf equipment, lawn equipment and hand tools.

Police believe most of the items were taken from residents in the Merced and Atwater areas. It remains unclear how long ago some of the items were stolen.

To identify and retrieve any stolen property that might belong to you, email Detective Perez at perezj@cityofmerced.org. In the message, include what was stolen and when and as many details about the items as possible, such as make and model, colors, any unusual markings and a number to a police report if it was reported stolen. If you have photos, please attach them.

This story was originally published April 21, 2017 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Merced police recover thousands of dollars in stolen property. Now, they’re looking for the rightful owners.."